Shoe-rack.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B.. FORSYTH, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINEEY COMPANY, OF -PATERSOINL NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-RACK.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, `1916.

To all il'hom 'it may coneern.:

Be it known that I, VILIAM R.. FonsYTrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Shoe-Racks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This in'vention relates to racks of the type commonly used in shoe factories to hold shoes while they are being transported from one part of the factory to another.

It is the chief object of the invention to devise a rack of this Character which can be folded up into a small space when it is not in usetbut which shall be very rigid and substantial when extended, and whichfurthermore shall be so constructed that its rigidity will not be appreciably afl'ected by wear. One embodiment of the invention in which these objects are attained is disclosed in the accom'panying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rack constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the rack extended in its operative condition certain of the parts being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the rack folded up.

The rack shown comprises two sills 2, each having mounted thereon two corner standards 4 which are braced by suitable stay rods 6. These standards constitute the supports for a. series of pairs of shelves, the member of each pair being arranged side by side in substantially the same horizontal plane and the pairs being arranged one above the other with a suitable space between them for the reception of the shoes. Each shelf comprises two opposite end bars 8 and several long rods or dowels 10 havin their ends secured in these bars. Each she f also includes an additional rod or dowel 12 that forms the extreme outside edge of each shelf and is not supported in the end bars but has its ends fastened in the corner standards 4. The dowels 12 serve to brace the standards 4 against any racking movement longitudinally of the rack. The two bars at each end of each pair of shelves have their inner ends connected together by a link 14 which is set into slots formed in the lower sides of the bars. These bars are rounded on the lower side of each end to form' surfaces concentric" with the axes of the pivots by which the link 14 is supported, so that the bars may swing upwardly relatively to each other; but the upper portions of the contacting end faces are flat to prevent any swinging movement of the bars in the opposite direction. The outer end of each bar 8 is connected to one of the standards 4 by a link 16, which is set into slots cut in the bar and in the standard and is pivoted to both the standard and the bar. It will now be evident that, when the middle portions of the shelves are swung upwardly, the outer portions will tip downwardly relatively to the standards, and thaty this movement can be continued until the parts assume the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 3 with the bottom surfaces of each pair of bars 8 in contact with each other and the upper surfaces of the bars in contact with the sides of the standards 4. The rack thus folds up into a space equal in width to the combined thickness of gne pair of standards and one pair of end ars.

For the purpose of looking the rack in extended condition two pairs of latches are provided, one pair at each end of the rack, each latch consisting of a rod 18 pivoted on one of the standards 4 and having a'. hook 20. Two studs 21 are fixed respectively to the bars'l8 near their inner ends in position to be engaged by the hooks of one pair of latches, thus looking the bars and, consequently, the shelves, at the extreme limit of their extended movement. The shelves of each Vertical 'series are all connected together by two bars 22 at oppositeiends of the rack, each bar` being pivoted to all the members of one series of end bars 8, so that the looking of one pair of shelves in the manner above described locks all the shelves against movement relatively to the standards. The bars 22 serve thelfurther purpose of causing the end bars to swing more or less together during their movement in collapsing or extending the rack.

It should be noted that the non-adjacent ends of each pair of bars 8 have fiat end faces that abut firmly against the sides of the standards 4 when the rack is extended, as shown in Fig. 2, and serve as transversc braces for the rack. The bracing action of these bars will not be appreciably atfected bywear of the pivot pins of the links inasl miich i as: theE lost motii'vsprodified '-'in" this' abut firmly against the sides of the standards.

will be necessary, in order to lock the rack firmly againstv collapse,to ishortenlthe latohes. F or. Vthis'purpose thehooks 2G arfe,'ma.de ad j ustable .on the pivoted Ar.ods-18-a'nd they ymay bel clamped ;in i 'anyz adjfusteid; i :position i by means ofnuts Q41that-'ae/threadedon to the rods and engage opposzitesides of thefhook's. Preferably, :the hooks201=are ,eachf provided with a slotted :extension 'zarranfged. tO- engagelcontinuouslyuthe loe-ki'ng stud 21,to pre'- ven't :the ho'ok -f'romfs'wingingrzaway frlomzit.

' 'A partition board' v28: is 'supported betweeneachtfpairV of shelves bysettingits ends into mortises forme'd' at theendsfof two opposite end 'bars 8. Thisapartitionfi prevents' the 7 shoes from'sli'dingfromioneishelfonato.the

other, 'which` otherwise would: ioocur :due-to the faet that- Vthe shelvs :are in'cl'ine'd v.towrd the center =of-the rackw 'ry-'1; 1..:1 5'

` usuallyreferred-'tofias doublerac'kfl that is`,*aV rack having'a serieszof pairs'ofshe'lves as' distinguished =from .a rack ;havang a series ofsingleshelvesit wi ll 'sheevidlent4 that: v;this i the latteri constriietionllflxIt:isV obvious also that the invention is as applicable to agra'ck havingI sh'elves ..of1 .the pin= 1type=f azs flto* az: ,rack

having 'shelves ofjthefidoweb ;t piegzasv yin the constructionfshown; 'w'

When'ithe rackV is inl use,':itfw:ill befetend'- ed and 'locled in: this condition'as shown =in Fi'gs. 1 and 2; but when it is desired to ship orvstore the rack, or when for'any other reason vitris n'ot in use,fit may then be unlocked and collapsed in the manner above described.

'Having thus fully described my invention,

` Vwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Whenthe 'pivot"pis oftlie links become: worn, producing the result justvdescribedyit p Letters Patent of the United States l. A folding shoerack comprising corner standards, a vertial series of shelves, each shelf having end lbars, ,linls suspending said bars -from said corner standards'and .forming the' supports forfsaidE shelve, and means for;` looking the rack in extended Condition,

comprising a rod, `a hooka'djufstable;thereon,

a pill vengageable by ;Slaiidndfaguard loop loosely confining,sai'd`rod to saidpiILV M i 2. folding. shoe ;rack coinprisfingl :corner standards, :a Vertical serieof of sh'elves the members .of each.: pair being: arran'ged side by side, each pair of shelvesihavingbpposite pairsof end bars, link connections -be- .tweenthe.inn er ends of, each`v endpair of bars, a -linl connection betweenthe outer end of eachgbaritnd one ofthe corner standards, 'a Vertical br 'pivotally connectedA to the members pteaeh Yertialseries of,l end `bars, a -latch -pivoted toeach'icornerstandarld, studsgon the end barsofjone pair o f she'lves arranged; to, v bed enga'ged. 'said latches, and a,=partition`-forgfieaehof shelves supported .hyztheeend bars of .one of thefshelves.. 1:; f" 5 v In'-.test-imoiiy, lwhereof I hayellsignedfmy name to thisppecifieationin.thefpresence of i,

two subscribingsvitnesses i i Witnes'ses z: I

-` i JOHNeH. MQinAni,

WILLIAMV Bv. KIN-G. 

